You’re no stranger to the fact that ending sounds can be quite tricky for kindergarteners and first graders. You also know how much smoother your day goes when you don’t have to think about planning. That’s exactly why this post exists— to help you walk into your classroom confidently, prepared, and excited to teach your favorite little learners all about the common -nd ending blend!
Welcome to Part 2 of the Digraph & Blends Series! In part one, we discussed the beginning digraph CH and set the stage for hands-on, meaningful phonics instruction that actually sticks. Keep reading for the free, week-long ND lesson plan with everything you need for 5 interactive, super fun days of learning!
Ending blends are groups of consonants at the end of a word where each sound is heard. With consonant ending blends like -nd, students must listen carefully, segment correctly, and then blend the sounds back together. That’s a lot to ask of early readers who are still mastering phonemic awareness!
The -nd ending blend shows up A LOT in decodable text and everyday vocabulary, like:
When students struggle to hear or spell this blend, it can slow down reading and writing…. But when they master it, you see stronger decoding skills, better spelling, and more confident writers!
Learning ND is a game-changer!
Instead of piecing together activities or trying to reinvent the wheel to keep your students engaged, use this FREE week-long ND lesson plan. You can easily follow along with each day’s predictable, effective flow.
Each day includes:
This consistency helps your students feel secure while allowing you to go deeper into teaching each day. You target reading, spelling, listening, writing, and more through interactive activities that keep your students learning actively.
Everything flows together naturally, whether you are teaching your entire class, working with small groups, or preparing activities for centers!
…And yes, everything has REALLY been planned for you!
This week-long plan works because it doesn’t rely on worksheets or on students sitting in their seats all day.
It combines movement, visuals, oral language, explicit instruction, and writing practice to ensure that your students don’t just memorize ND words but actually understand these consonant ending blends!
Here’s a closer look at some of the hands-on, movement-based activities you will find in the week-long ND lesson plan:
Start the week off with a fun kinesthetic warm-up!
Your students will sit or stand on the floor and “rock the boat” for each word you call out. They lean to the left at each onset, then to the right at the rime. When they blend the sounds all together, they sit or stand up straight and say the word fluently.
Words targeted:
Next, practice phonemic awareness skills by working together to complete a picture sort.
Remember- phonemic awareness does not include print so we are focusing on listening to the blends.
You can do this as a whole class or break students into small groups. They will sort picture cards to decide which words belong with the -nd ending blend.
Use a pocket chart or the chalkboard ledge to easily hold the pictures.
On Day 2, provide explicit phonics instruction by playing Word Wigglers!
Project and play this game with no extra prep needed. Students will change one sound each time to make a new word with the -nd ending blend. Use the matching recording sheet for extra writing practice!
Get your students moving on Day 3 with another kinesthetic warm-up.
They will stand on the floor and listen as you say a word. Then, they will hop in place for each sound in the word and stand up tall to blend the word back together.
Use these words:
This activity teaches little ones how to move from onset rime to phonemes in an interactive, engaging way.
In this Day 4 phonemic awareness activity, students listen to three words and decide which one doesn’t belong based on the ending sounds.
Try these word lists:
Remind them to listen for the -nd ending blend!
Making phonics playful is easy with this no-prep ND game. Project the word list on your board. Student take turns acting out one of the words. Everyone records the words as you play. There is even an extra sentence writing worksheet included. This practice just feels like FUN!
Everything you need for ND Charades i s included in your FREE week-long ND lesson plan!
On Day 5, practice rime substitution!
Tell your students a word and have them change the rime to make new words containing the consonant ending blend ND.
The targeted words are provided for you, so there’s no prep required!
Finish the week strong with a quick assessment using the printable assessment page. This will help you evaluate your students’ abilities to correctly spell words ending in -nd.
For students who are ready for a greater challenge, use the included dictation sentence for easy differentiation!
*Each interactive activity found in these week-long lesson plans builds on the ones before it and helps your students truly retain what they’re learning!
These FREE lesson plans also include extras for your classroom! Use the bonus activities during small groups, centers, indoor gametime, recess, and more.
Your students won’t grow tired of practicing the important -nd ending blend this week with all of these fun, movement-filled options!
Teaching consonant ending blends doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or time-consuming. For the ND ending blend, you already have an entire week of interactive instruction thoughtfully planned for you. You’re building confident readers and writers— one digraph at a time!
Come back soon for Part 3 of the Digraph Series to discover even more ways to engage your students with purposeful movement as they learn!
I’m a teacher who believes in creating a classroom kids love and activities that keep them engaged all day!
